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Just a little rant here
12 years ago
I posted this on Facebook earlier today and it got a pretty positive reaction. Thought I'd share here too.
I was having a conversation today when Cuts4Bieber was brought up. It reminded me of a remark someone once made regarding it, that "People shouldn't post that kind of thing on the internet because a child might see it, and children aren't mature enough to know better". So while Cuts4Bieber is old news by now, I think that the point I'm about to make is still relevant.
First of all, if your child is not mature enough to see something on the internet without trying it, even if it involves self-harm, your child is not mature enough to be on the internet. I understand that there are websites geared specifically to children, but letting a young child on the internet unsupervised and expecting them to not end up on something inappropriate eventually, is like dropping a child off in the center of the busiest part of the city saying "Bye, have fun, I'll be back in two hours!" and expecting them to still be there, having not moved and had no interactions with anyone by the time you get back. Kids wander. Kids click things they shouldn't. That's how kids are.
Second, it is not the internet's responsibility to monitor what your children go on, while online, any more than TV providers are responsible for what your children watch. It is your job as a parent to make sure that your kids stay on appropriate sites and that they are not watching or surfing inappropriate material. If your child is too young to understand that they shouldn't do something just because someone online says they should, your child is too young to be online unsupervised. Do your job as a parent to make sure that they are safe and supervised. And if you can't always watch them, then teach them what is appropriate and what isn't, teach them to be safe online and not to believe everything they read on the internet.
Parents who blame people online, or the internet in general for the inappropriate things their kids come across and say that the internet should be made kid friendly, are the same kinds of people who complain about something their child watched on Family Guy, while making no effort to prevent their kid from watching it in the first place.
There are billions of people online. They are not going to censor every little thing they do because you can't be bothered to actually parent your kid and pay attention to what they are doing and the kid MIGHT see what they posted.
Be a responsible parent and pay attention to your kids.
/End Rant
TL;DR version: Be a parent and take responsibility for your kids. Don't expect a TV or computer to do that job for you and then complain about the results.
I was having a conversation today when Cuts4Bieber was brought up. It reminded me of a remark someone once made regarding it, that "People shouldn't post that kind of thing on the internet because a child might see it, and children aren't mature enough to know better". So while Cuts4Bieber is old news by now, I think that the point I'm about to make is still relevant.
First of all, if your child is not mature enough to see something on the internet without trying it, even if it involves self-harm, your child is not mature enough to be on the internet. I understand that there are websites geared specifically to children, but letting a young child on the internet unsupervised and expecting them to not end up on something inappropriate eventually, is like dropping a child off in the center of the busiest part of the city saying "Bye, have fun, I'll be back in two hours!" and expecting them to still be there, having not moved and had no interactions with anyone by the time you get back. Kids wander. Kids click things they shouldn't. That's how kids are.
Second, it is not the internet's responsibility to monitor what your children go on, while online, any more than TV providers are responsible for what your children watch. It is your job as a parent to make sure that your kids stay on appropriate sites and that they are not watching or surfing inappropriate material. If your child is too young to understand that they shouldn't do something just because someone online says they should, your child is too young to be online unsupervised. Do your job as a parent to make sure that they are safe and supervised. And if you can't always watch them, then teach them what is appropriate and what isn't, teach them to be safe online and not to believe everything they read on the internet.
Parents who blame people online, or the internet in general for the inappropriate things their kids come across and say that the internet should be made kid friendly, are the same kinds of people who complain about something their child watched on Family Guy, while making no effort to prevent their kid from watching it in the first place.
There are billions of people online. They are not going to censor every little thing they do because you can't be bothered to actually parent your kid and pay attention to what they are doing and the kid MIGHT see what they posted.
Be a responsible parent and pay attention to your kids.
/End Rant
TL;DR version: Be a parent and take responsibility for your kids. Don't expect a TV or computer to do that job for you and then complain about the results.
I work at a Boys and Girls Club of America as the computer lab instructor and you have no idea how many times I've wanted to tell a parent to be a parent. They'll come to me and say they didn't want their little one so and so site because it was "bad for them". I can only say that I've got 25 kids and computers to watch. I can't watch your child in particular without neglecting another. -_-
And no worries about the swearing. My online persona might be sweet and innocent, but in real life I do... ahem, have quite the extensive potty mouth, I'll admit.
also the only reason I try not to swear is because of my personality.